News Release
October 17, 2007

Reference: Rico Foz, Executive Vice President, National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON), email: nafconusa @ yahoo.com

BOYCOTT ABC-DISNEY CALL STILL ALIVE IN LIGHT OF NO 'SINCERE APOLOGY'

New York-- The National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON), a national network of Filipino-American organizations spanning 23 cities, staged a followup protest action last Friday, October 12th in front of ABC Studios in Manhattan to heighten its call for a boycott of the network, particularly "Desperate Housewives", and of the network's parent company, Disney. 

The mighty picket was organized following a successful picket in front of the studios last Friday, October 5th, marking the first community-based protest action in the nation against the network since the now-infamous "Desperate Housewives" episode involving a racial slur against Filipino medical professionals.

"Since we have not gotten a sincere, on-air apology from the network for their mistake, we are committed to challenging the network through persistent action," states NAFCON executive vice president Rico Foz.

Following a closed-door negotiation session with ABC-Disney Senior Vice President for Diversity and Talent Development Robert Mendez at the Trump Plaza last October 5th, a NAFCON delegation presented 6 key demands for the network to take up as a show of sincerity in its apology to the Filipino-American community, following an previous "3-sentence email apology" issued to Philippine Daily Inquirer reporter Nimfa Rueda days after the slur culminated outrage from the community and an online petition gathered over 100,000 signatures in a matter of days.

"We should never be passive. Racism should never be tolerated," stated youth advocate and organizer Anne Beryl Corotan of Sandiwa Filipino-American Youth Alliance. "The boycott and call to action are justified to get our point across."

Speakers included Filipino doctors Orlando Apiado, a retired Long Island cardiologist who worked in the US for more than four decades.

An online petition issued by NAFCON articulating the 6-point set of demands can be viewed at www.gopetition.com/online/14673 . A video of the October 5th picket is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bnfx7EsSSw

While the group welcomed promises made by the network for more job and career opportunities with ABC Inc., NAFCON called on the public to refocus on the issue of an on-air apology, the absence of which provides the primary basis to continue to boycott call.

"We are not belittling ABC's offer for jobs, but we must focus tightly on our demand for an on-air apology for the insult committed to our community," Foz ended.

The boycott call is also gaining ground through other community groups, including  various medical and professional associations. ###